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Practicing Peace

Summer in Tucson, Arizona is my least favorite season. I am NOT a hot weather person. An Irish lass by heritage, a redwood forest hippie by inclination, 82 degrees would be my ideal summer high temperature…preferably by a body of water (I love oceans best but a creek will do)…under a canopy of trees (redwoods are the best but I’ll take big, old oaks too)…in my daydreams I live in a hut by a river or in a shack by the sea–never, ever under a saguaro.

But here I am. And here I must be. And it’s up to me to make the best of it.

There will be no vacation this year. No trip to the beach. No jaunt up to the Sierras to see my sister. No respite. I’m stuck. Two more months of “too hot for humans” in Tucson.

Can’t tackle any big projects. Can’t spend too much time outdoors. Can’t abide the heat and the glare. Can’t take another moment of the pathetic high crimes & felonies of our politicians. Can’t. It’s too much! It could drive a woman CRAZEE!

So, my “homework” for this sizzling season is Practicing Peace.

Not “visualizing” peace or “praying” for peace, but actually WORKING toward BEING peace.

Slowing down. Appreciating. Taking in. Breathing out.

Neither creating nor participating in drama.

Reading. Writing. Sewing. Staring off into space.

Re-grouping. Replenishing.

Observing the antics of two fledgling Great Horned Owls born in a high crook of our huge Grandfather Mesquite.

Blessed to see the delicate unfolding of the fleeting, one day blossoming, ceres cacti.

Sitting on the front porch with my Sweetheart to watch the sunset after a monsoon storm.

What I am beginning to understand is, these days,

My days of scurrying around, trying to juggle 15 balls in the air (while whistling the entire score of Evita) are over. It’s time to let soooo much go…to make choices that promote my personal peace…

Eliminating as many old, worn-out obligations and “have to’s” as I can has helped me enter a wonderful new phase in my life. It gives me so many more opportunities to be tuned in to the amazing moments of ordinary life.

I was deeply inspired by one of my favorite mentors, Asia from One Willow Apothecaries in a recent blog post in which she wrote about choosing peace.

“You can choose peace, even when everything in the world is telling you that you must push, strive, change, transform, end it all, or begin something new.

You can choose peace, even if that means upsetting the expectations of others.You can choose peace and still change your life from the inside out. In fact, sometimes peace is the path to transformation itself.You can choose peace and still be blessed with an abundance of creativity, love, nourishment and magic— it’ll just arrive differently. Less like an asteroid, and more like a white votive, glowing steady in a hallowed alcove.

So whenever a new opportunity or invitation comes up ask yourself: Will this increase my sense of well-being? Does this support me in nourishing my overall existence? Will this help me cultivate peace?”

It’s amazing, if you make the conscious decision to step off the roller coaster, jump off the carousel, and not feel so compelled to do do do, buy buy buy, go go go, worry worry worry, your life gradually starts filling with peace.

One day at a time.

And remember, my life ain’t easy. It’s complicated. There’s much going on. It’s not as though I don’t still have a huge number of responsibilities and chores. Keeping my tiny art studio and classes afloat, tending to the needs of my very ill husband, being a writer and an artist and a social justice activist, maintaining our small oasis at WildHeart Ranch to be a vibrant sanctuary for critters and plants…there’s plenty to do but…

That’s what I’m doing this summer–what about you?

Here’s my prayer…

what’s yours?

Let’s you and I meet, out beyond the heat and hate, out under the big oak, by the side of the singing creek. Let’s take a picnic and spend all day playing, laughing, talking, and dreaming…

Being content…or allowjng yourself to be satisfied with how your life has gotten you to this moment…what you’ve gone through to achieve this place in life….accepting strength in yourself….all help to find peace as you know and I am finding it too…with encouragement you give and the love we give each other.

Dearest one…I made a reply to your beautiful practicing peace post but it doesn’t look like it got posted. Too much to repeat but maybe later. In any case I am so happy you’re finding your way to self-acceptance and inner peace with and for yourself…beautiful soul you are. It’s what we need to make our lives even more meaningful and worth the effort!! Love❤️

All the way from Holland! Thanks so much Sister Rosie–it’s a challenge in the midst of caring for your brother to muster the strength and purpose to do much more but art making is my inspiration and soul work is my path so each day I try to find find joy to share. You are a part of the joy sweet Rosie and I am sending all my love, Sister Ruby

Lovely! I missed getting down to say “hello”. Been a very busy (in a good way) month.

Love Asia Suler. Missed that particular post so thanks for including it. She and the Chestnut School of Herbalism make me want to move to NC. I don’t think I can tolerate the humidity and cloudy days but it’s tempting. Especially as I gaze upon the little garden of death going on in my yard!

Hope this finds you, Albert, all the critters in as good shape as possible, all things given. Bootsie is doing a little better, still has something not quite right but that’s just how things go as we get on in years.

Glad you are working to slow down and accept that you are not meant to save the world by yourself and your tireless energy and passion. It’s OK to “do nothing” for periods of time. Enjoy those spectacular sunsets that we of the southwest are so privileged to have. Raised in “the swamp” I though Maxfield Parrish was a liar. That was until I made it to CO, NM and AZ!!

Sorry to hear you won’t be able to get your beach fix or visit with your Sis in the cool Sierras. I hope for you that you will be able, at some point, to live in that little cottage of your dreams. I also know to do so will come at a great cost. Sometimes life seems so unfair, so rough. My freedom to roam is the same. I feel you, though on a smaller scale, perhaps.

Sending some love and healing blessings out to you, Albert and all the living beings at Wildheart Ranch! Kim and Bootsie 💖🤗🐾😻☮️🍀🌻🙏🏼

Dearest Kim–we have always been sisters in our gypsy souls and dreamer’s hearts! Each of us spawning, nurturing, incubating dreams…come compare notes with me at the Cottage soon–I love dreaming with you! Love and Gratitude for you from Kait

Practicing Peace
that’s what my sister says to do
and I always listen
she is my big sister after all
practicing ~
May I be at Peace
May my heart remain open
May I awaken to the light of my own nature
May I be healed
May I be the source of healing for all beings
ZING! my sister called me on the phone while I was writing this!
love you dear sister!

O Dear Sister! You rock my world and make me smile and now I’m coming to see you in October! Love you so and can’t wait to see you and to sell fairy gardens at the craft fair and take a field trip to the beach and laff laff laff while we’re eating ice cream and reading stories to each other. Love you Sister!

One of your best blogs ever! We will miss your sweet and lively presence here this summer, but please know our door is always open to you and Albert, for any reason. Some of the thoughts you presented have been given to us by Jamie, almost exactly, and even Lee is agreeing lately. How lucky we are, I/we loved all the pictures, especially the ones you took yourself. The word restoring in one of the memes specifically caught my attention. It feels like I do that a lot in our garden, and in my clients’. Also for my own body when I over-use it. Another word that stood out is glare,something I’ve been dealing with since my bilateral cataract surgery on June 4. Light seems overwhelming. The good news is it can be dealt with, using hats and dark glasses outdoors, and lighter sunglasses inside, seats with backs to windows. Other good news, I can drive without glasses, and I see the road much better at night. I realize “glare” has other meanings, but it applied to me in the literal sense. We are sending calming and healing energy to you both, and hoping to see you before long. Much love from you spirit sister & Windsong.

Dearest Spirit Sister-I am so delighted that your eyes are healing and that we are all in this beautiful dance together of slowing and deepening our lives. I miss our long talks snuggled in together with Ski bringing us blackberry brandy and food loving made for us. You are both always in my heart and I love the beautiful memories we have shared and will continue to share as our lives evolve. Much Love From Kaitlin